Buddhists/buddhism

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Expert: - 9/15/2010


Question
why was Buddhism started? and how was Buddhism started. i am Maria weinbrenner in a global history class and i need your help please=) and thankyou i need quick factual answers thankyou once again i am in a hurry

Answer
Hi Mariah,

Since you are in a hurry, let me give you a short direct answer, and then you can go to this link for "quick factual answers":
Wikipedia @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism


There is no "why".  It just "started" when the Buddha discovered certain priciples and characteristics of life and the universe.  

"How"?  Buddhism simply means the teachings of the Buddha.  The Buddha lived in Northern India more than 2500 years ago.  He first preached his discovery of certain principles of life to his five disciples, and he spent the rest of his 45 years spreading his teachings across Northern India.

His teachings gradually spread northwards and eastwards to China and Japan.  It also spread southwards to Sri Lanka (Ceylon) and spread across Burma, Thailand, and the Indo-China states of Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Hope this helps.

Justin Choo

Buddhists

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Justin Choo

Expertise

When in doubt seek it out. All your questions will be answered, and you may not have to agree with the answers. Such is the beauty of Buddhism. You are free to decide. I follow the Theravada tradition, and have been studying Buddhism for more than 40 years. Please view my profile for more details. I have answered more than 1500 questions since joining this category. You may like to give me the honor to answer your question.

Experience

I was brought up in the 50's as a Buddhist. For the past 40 years I have read numerous books on Buddhism and listened to numerous talks on Buddhism by well-respected and learned monks and lay teachers. I conduct Buddhist classes for parents of Sunday School children in a Theravada Buddhist Temple. My teacher was the late Chief Reverend, The Ven. K Sri Dhammananda of The Brickfields Buddhist Mahavihara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. You can view the relevent website in memory of my revered late teacher @ http://www.ksridhammananda.com

Organizations
I am a life member of the Buddhist Missionary Society Malaysia.

Publications
YOU ARE INVITED TO VISIT MY BLOG @ http://lifeislikethat999.blogspot.com/ Published a book called "The Rainbow And The Treasure". It is a compilation of extracts from various sources to introduce Buddhism to beginners. (Currently out of print)

Education/Credentials
Bachelor of Commerce And Administration, Victoria University Of Wellington, NZ.(1974)

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